GT World Challenge – 59-car grid ready to launch 2025 in style with six-hour race at Circuit Paul Ricard
The 2025 GT World Challenge powered by AWS season launches next weekend at Circuit Paul Ricard (12/13 April) with an exceptional 59-car field ready to tackle a six-hour Endurance Cup race.
This will be the biggest grid for the season-opening event since 2015, while the number of competing brands has also expanded to 10. Entries are consistently strong across the Pro, Gold Cup, Silver Cup and Bronze Cup classes, all of which promise to be fiercely contested.
Fans at the track have plenty to look forward to as the long-running event resumes its popular six-hour duration, getting underway at 18:00 CET on Saturday evening and concluding at midnight. The weekend will also feature a trio of high-level support series and a variety of off-track entertainment to launch the new season in style.
PRO: Campaign begins with mouth-watering line-up of talent
Ferrari squad AF Corse Francorchamps Motors swept the Endurance Cup titles last year and begins 2025 as the team to beat. Reigning champions Alessandro Pier Guidi and Alessio Rovera are joined aboard the #51 by Vincent Abril, while the #50 is also a potential winner with returning star Antonio Fuoco joined by young talents Arthur Leclerc and Eliseo Donno.
There hould be stiff competition from Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter, which took a resounding win in last season’s Endurance Cup finale on the streets of Jeddah and has signed Matteo Cairoli to join overall series champions Maro Engel and Lucas Auer. Boutsen VDS (Martin/Götz/Grenier), GetSpeed (Gounon/Stolz/Schiller) and GT World Challenge newcomer Nordique Racing (Liberati/Kotaka/Nakayama) add further firepower for the German marque.
BMW brings a new model– the M4 GT3 EVO – and Team WRT has a revised line-up in its flagship #32 entry as the continuing Charles Weerts is joined by returnee Kelvin van der Linde and rising star Ugo de Wilde. Rowe Racing can also pose a serious threat with its vastly experienced crew of Marciello/Farfus/Krohn sharing the #98 BMW.
Lamborghini has high expectations after Grasser Racing almost snatched the Endurance Cup title last year. Mirko Bortolotti returns to the squad with which he established his reputation, partnering fellow factory drivers Jordan Pepper and Luca Engstler. VSR will field another trio of Squadra Corse stars, with Mapelli/Mitchell/Perera sharing the #163 Lamborghini.
Aston Martin also brings two strong crews to the opener. Comtoyou Racing continues with CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa winners Drudi/Sørensen/Thiim, while Walkenhorst Motorsport will rely on Chaves/Krognes/Pittard. McLaren has renewed strength thanks to the addition of CSA Racing, which launches its first Pro assault with Gachet/Kell/Rougier, while Garage 59 (Kirchhöfer/Goethe/Loake) maintains its long association with the British marque.
The 2024 season was disappointing by Porsche’s high standards, but a return to the top step is a real possibility with entries from Pure Rxcing (Leitz/Malykhin/Preining), Rutronik Racing (Müller/Niederhauser/Picariello) and Schumacher CLRT (Bachler/Güven/Heinrich). HRT Ford Performance completes the Pro field with a new trio comprising Thomas Drouet, Arjun Maini and Jann Mardenborough.
GOLD: Expanded grid promises even more action
The Gold Cup is set for its most competitive season yet. McLaren is the car of choice, with Garage 59, Optimum Motorsport and Team RJN fielding the 720S GT3 Evo. AlManar Racing finished as runner-up last year and returns in a new collaboration with BMW and Team WRT, with Al Faisal Al Zubair anchoring the driver line-up.
Tresor Attempto Racing will field the #88 Audi, while successful Porsche squad Herberth Motorsport joins the Gold Cup field for the first time and adds series returnee Rolf Ineichen to its roster. Verstappen.com Racing makes its series debut with Aston Martin, while Paul Motorsport adds a Lamborghini to this increasingly competitive class.
SILVER: Record-equalling field chasing victory
One of the big stories heading into 2025 is the significant growth of the Silver Cup, which has more than doubled in size since the final race of last year to 17 cars. Reigning champions Colin Caresani and Tanart Sathienthirakul join GetSpeed alongside Aaron Walker, so the #6 Mercedes-AMG should be a leading contender. The same team will field a second Silver entry, while fellow AMG outfit Boutsen VDS has the only all-French crew on the grid with Cabirou/Gazeau/Panis sharing the #10 machine.
This three-car line-up is matched by BMW and Lamborghini. The former is represented by Team WRT, Paradine Competition and Century Motorsport, while previous class champions Barwell Motorsport and Grasser Racing are joined in the Lamborghini camp by VSR.
The Silver Cup is the only class to feature both American brands. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R makes its series debut with Steller Motorsport, while HRT Ford Performance will deploy its Mustang. Comtoyou Racing and Walkenhorst Motorsport will each field an Aston Martin, while Audi stalwarts Saintéloc Racing and Tresor Attempto Racing are both among the contenders. Further entries representing McLaren (CSA Racing) and Porsche (Dinamic GT) bring the Silver Cup tally to nine brands, the most of any single class.
BRONZE: Competitive field looking to topple Tempesta
Ferrari is both the reigning class champion and the best-represented brand in the Bronze Cup, which remains very competitive this year. Ziggo Sport Tempesta has a new look as it goes in pursuit of a third successive title, while Rinaldi Racing has added Ferrari factory ace Davide Rigon to its line-up. Kessel Racing brings two cars, while the #52 AF Corse Francorchamps Motors crew includes Louis Machiels, who holds the record for Endurance Cup participations.
Porsche has always been strong in this class and should be a factor with entries from Herberth Motorsport, Lionspeed GP and Rutronik Racing, the latter including 2023 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa class winner Antares Au. Audi is also represented by a trio of cars, one from Tresor Attempto Racing and two from Saintéloc Racing, the latter featuring an all-Qatari crew aboard its #27 machine.
Having enjoyed major success last term with its Pro and Silver line-ups, Winward Racing joins the Bronze Cup with a Mercedes-AMG. Paradine Competition will field reigning Sprint Cup champions Darren Leung and Dan Harper alongside Sean Gelael in its BMW, while Comtoyou Racing has placed Jessica Hawkins among an all-new line-up in the #270 Aston Martin. Garage 59 should be a force with the #188 McLaren, and BMW Italia Ceccato Racing begins its first full Endurance Cup campaign to complete a superb 59-car grid.
